LNEC revisited

After a long gap I went to the Lions Nature Education Centre yesterday. Not much has changed - some tidying up, a few trees removed but essentially just as it was when I had to stop going due to poor heath.

I found many of my 'old friends' including, to my immense satisfaction, Polycanthagyna erythromelas. Still at the same pond after 5 years, even on the same tree. If it had not been for the fact that it flew a lot (always returning to the same place to hang out) I would have thought it was plastic.

The mosquitoes were as aggressive as ever as I photographed a beautiful stick insect, just a few feet off a main path. I suspect that is where a larva of Kunugia divaricata found its way into my hat. I kept hearing something near my left ear and it would not go away. Eventually I took off my hat and inside was the caterpillar. I restored it to a more suitable environment.

My saddest moment was meeting a local guy, photographing a butterfly. He showed me a photo folder full of pictures of all sorts of creatures, from bugs to birds. Many were clearly taken in the aviary but most were in the wild. I asked him what he did with all his records - did he put them on iNat? He looked shocked. Absolutely not. He then patted my side pocket and pretended to be taking something out. After a little puzzlement I understood. He is afraid people will steal his photos. So I asked if he did it for a living but not so. It is just a hobby. All these records and they don't get captured anywhere. He also dismissed me photographing a changeable lizard, Calotes versicolor, because they are common. Sad!.

For the record all my images are protected by a creative commons licence. You can download any of my Flickr photos and use them providing it is 1) not for profit 2) attributed to me and 3) not manipulated in any way. I am not even sure images on iNat can be downloaded.

I will pay occasional visits to LNEC but from Central it took me longer to get there than it does to Mai Po. It was reassuring to see that people still signal left and turn right (or visa versa) at the Hang Hau roundabout and maintain a spectacularly poor driving ability. and my special award goes to the idiot Audi driver who cut in causing 4 vehicles behind to brake rather too sharply. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Posted on June 28, 2018 12:22 AM by andrewhardacre